September 21, 2026 – Woodstock, Ontario
The Woodstock Police Service is aware of public discussion regarding the charges laid in connection with the September 16, 2026 investigation, including comments suggesting that police are discouraging bystanders from intervening to help others. We want to address this directly.
We want to be clear: we are not discouraging anyone from intervening to protect another person from harm. Bystanders who take reasonable action to help someone in danger play an important role in community safety, and the Woodstock Police Service supports that.
The Criminal Code recognizes the right of any person to use force to defend themselves or another person and permits reasonable force in doing so. Whether force used is reasonable depends on the specific circumstances of each case, including factors such as the nature of the threat and the nature of the force used in response.
In this case, our investigation determined that a prohibited weapon was used during the intervention. The use of a prohibited weapon is a significant factor in any legal assessment of whether the force applied was reasonable, which is why charges resulted in this specific instance.
It’s also important to understand that being accused of a crime does not remove a person’s protection under the law. If an assault occurs against anyone, including a person who is themselves facing charges, police have a duty to investigate and apply the law accordingly. The justice system does not permit selective enforcement based on who the victim is alleged to be.
We recognize the public’s interest in this case, but we are limited in the further detail we can release. Providing additional specifics at this stage carries a real risk of affecting the ongoing judicial process for the victim and all individuals charged. We take that responsibility seriously, and it is why our public statements will remain measured while these matters are before the court. We ask the public to allow the judicial process to run its course before drawing conclusions.